This ‘remix’ of Steve Miller Band’s The Joker adds the slide guitar wolf whistle after every line - and the results are hilarious
That’s right: 49 slide guitar wolf whistles in one track
Steve Miller Band’s anthemic 1973 cut The Joker is notable for many things: coining the word ‘pompatus’, showcasing Miller’s tasteful electric guitar chops, and the excellent slide-guitar wolf whistle that follows the line ‘some people call me Maurice.’ And now one gallant YouTuber has taken the latter into the stratosphere.
Matthew McVickar’s totally unnecessary yet also quite, quite brilliant ‘remix’ of the iconic tune adds the wolf whistle after Every. Single. Line. That adds up to 49 wolf whistles in total, folks - 48 more than the original.
Of course, the video’s title refers to a ‘wah-wah sound’ when we know it’s really a slide guitar, but we’ll let that, erm, slide, because the resultant track had us in stitches.
To McVickar’s credit, the song does contain some superb wah pedal work during Miller’s solo - so superb, in fact, that we ranked The Joker among the greatest wah solos of all time for its restrained, laid-back approach.
The creator of this noble YouTube endeavor has also encouraged any fans of the new - and, let’s be honest, improved - Joker to donate $4.90, $14.90 or $49.00 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Advancement Project or a bail fund in your state.
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Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and over a decade's experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.
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